A Little History of OARS

    The Old Anacortes Rowing and Sailing Society (OARS) is a non-profit organization formed in 1978 to carry on the use of traditional wooden rowing boats.  The club, made up of around 130 members, currently rows three boats: two 21 foot Cornish gigs, and a 20 foot wherry.  All the boats are rigged for four oarsmen and a coxswain.  Although groups typically row in hour long sessions, leaving from the Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes, Washington, occasional trips venture well into the surrounding San Juan Islands.  Club members pay $40 annual membership dues, and buy punch cards for time spent rowing ($1.50 per hour), with the proceeds going towards boat maintenance and storage.  For crew safety and the security of the boats, whenever a boat goes out, at least one member on board must be rated "Master".  The 20 or so Masters in the club earned their rating by having sufficient experience and by passing a qualification test on navigation; seamanship; and boating commands, terminology, and handling skills particular to these types of craft.  Within the OARSS web site (oarss.org), visit the Boat Manual page for general information and the Master's Testing page for Masters qualification information.

    In addition to rowing and social functions within the club (such as regular pot-lucks), OARS also supports community groups of interest to our members.  One group that we help support is the SeaScouts, Crew 81 (www.anacorteswoodenboats.com), a competitive rowing group crewed by area high school students and coached by OARS members David Jackson, Michelle Pope, and Boshie Morris. The SeaScouts row and sail a 26 foot long, ten oar, three masted (dipping lug rigged) wooden longboat, the Elizabeth Bonaventure as well as the gigs.  All of these boats share a boathouse in Cap Sante Marina.

    Anyone interested in joining the club can e-mail me (e-mail the webmaster); call our secretary, Liz Weideman, at 293-0595; have a member get a membership form from the boathouse; or come to a morning meeting starting at 7:30 in the card room at the bowling alley (San Juan Lanes) in Anacortes, WA.